Game apparatus



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fltlomey lid Sept. 29, 1936. R. L. WARNER GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 21, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet s 3 ac. .Saurece Inumfor 75 74 7 1:12;. W WM a??? Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 16 Claims.

My invention relates generally to game apparatus and particularly to surface projectile game apparatus and an important object of my invention is to provide game apparatus of the character indicated in which the initial movement of and final destination of the surface projectiles may be electrically determined.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide game apparatus of the character indicated above wherein are provided electrical projectile propelling means which more positively and energetically propel the projectiles.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide electrical game apparatus of the character indicated above which includes coin controlled device and electrical operating means ar ranged to bring about performance automatically, subsequent to initial energization thereof and operation of the coin controlled device, of all functions required for the playing of the game on the apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of the embodiment.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately on the line 22 looking upwardly or toward the rear of the embodiment.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the ball releasing and ball return mechanisms showing the coin controlled device in relation thereto, and in the initial position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the ball releasing slide in the operated or inward position.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the front part of the embodiment showing a top plan view of the ball releasing slide which is operated by the coin controlled device.

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken through Figure 5 approximately on the line 6-6.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately on the line 'll, and including the electrical connections of the embodiment diagrammatically.

Figure 8 is an elevational view of the lower left hand portion of the electrically operated mallet.

Figure 9 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the ball raceway showing a radial groove for affecting the course of a ball rolling on the raceway and an electromagnet for holding a ball in the groove and for releasing the ball therefrom when desired.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 5 refers generally to the box-like casing of the embodiment which includes the bottom 6 to which the supporting legs l are attached, the top 9 Which rests on the upper edges of the sides and ends of the casing and is held in position by 10 the L-shaped moulding it, the top 9 being provided with a circular opening in whose edge is an annular groove in which is seated the radially outward edge of the transparent panel II, the latter being held flush with the upper side of the top 9 by the retaining annulus l2.

Connected to and depending from the underside of the top ii and concentric with the circular opening in the top is the circular dished ball raceway it which is made preferably of aluminum, and has the generally horizontal flange portion lta directly engaging the underside of the top 9 around the circular opening therein. The raceway includes the radially inwardly declining part M- below the flange Eta, and at the radially inward extremity of the part It is the concentric opening in which the pocket equipped wheel generally designated 28 is located and rotates relative to the raceway it which is stationary.

lIhe pocket equipped wheel 28 comprises the 30 central cylindrical hollow hub having the domelike head so provided on its underside with the central socket 3! having the set screw 32. Radiating from the sides of the hub are partitions or spokes 34 which are equally circumferentially 35 spaced to form ball receiving pockets of equal size, and the radially outward ends of the spokes are connected to the annulus 33 which is segmental in cross section, and has its top declining radially inwardly on a slant approximately the same as the slant of the part 14 of the raceway. The radially outward wall of the annulus 33 being located close to the edge of the circular opening of the raceway and the top of the annulus being substantially in the same plane as the top of the part M of the raceway I 3, a ball rolling on the raceway may roll without perceptible interruption from the part I l onto the top of the annulus 33 and drop into one of the pockets of the wheel.

Rotatably supporting the pocket equipped wheel 28 in the relation to the raceway described above is the shaft 22 whose upper end is received in the socket 3| and locked therein by the set screw 32 The lower end of the shaft 22 turns in and is supported by the socket 23 which rests on the top of the base l5 which in turn rests on the bottom 6 of the casing 5. From the corners of the base l5 rise pillars 2B which engage the opposite corners of and support the horizontal platform 2! concentrically with respect to the wheel 28 and slightly spaced below the underside of the said wheel, the platform 2| being made of any suitable material but preferably of bakelite. The upper part of the shaft 22 passes through the platform 2! in a bearing 23a located in an opening in the platform. Collars 22' and 22a, respectively, are locked to the shaft 22 and bear against the underside of the bearing 23a and the top of the bearing socket 23, respectively, to hold the shaft 22 properly in place.

The shaft 22 has fixed on the lower part thereof a relatively large worm wheel 25 which is in mesh with the worm l9 which is fixed on the shaft of the electric motor it which is mounted on the top of the base l5 at the right of the shaft 22.

At the left of the shaft 22, a rectifier bulb I1 and a transformer [6 are mounted on the top of the base H5.

The steel balls 35 with which the game is played with my apparatus are conveyed to and upon the surface of the raceway by the ball-conveying tube 4! (shown in Figure '7) which opens through the side of the raceway at a point between the flange i311, and the part 14 at an angle which is approximately tangential to the raceway, as indicated in Figure 1. The tube 4! leads directly forwardly at a downward angle and has rising from its front end the vertical receiving portion 38 which passes through an opening 31 in the top 9 and has the flange 39 screwed to the upper surface of the top by the screws 40. The player drops the steel balls one at a time into the receiving portion 38 to cause projection thereof onto the raceway. The point of the elbow formed by the meeting of the front end of the tube 4| and the lower end of the tubular receiving portion 38 is cut away to provide the opening 45 through which the head of the ball projecting mallet works.

Adjacent the opening Q5 is a contact 66 which is formed in some suitable manner to cooperate with the front end of the tube for supporting one of the steel balls within the opening 45 in a position to be struck by the head of the ball projecting mallet. The cooperating portion of the front end of the tube ii and the contact 66 together form a pocket into which the ball drops and by which the ball is arrested when the ball falls through the tube 38 after having been deposited therein by the player. When the ball is seated in the said pocket it electrically bridges the contact 66 and the tube 4! so as to close an electrical circuit later described herein, and bring about operation of the mallet.

The ball projecting mallet includes the inverted L-shaped bracket 59 which has its foot portion fixed to the underside of the top 9 by screws or bolts 50 (see Figure '7). The lower part of the standard portion of the bracket 49 declines rearwardly as indicated at 56 and is bifurcated, providing the arms 5?, which have in their lower ends threadably adjustable sockets 59 arranged to be locked in position by the nuts Ell.

The described sockets receive the opposite pointed ends of the pivot 55 which is fixed to the lower part of the mallet 58, the mallet being thereby pivotally supported with its laterally arranged head 64 in position to pass through the opening 45 and strike the ball 35 supported therein when the upper end of the mallet is snapped toward the left, thereby projecting the ball through the tube 4i and onto the raceway l3.

Stretched between the upper end of the mallet and an upper part of the bracket 49 is a spring 63 which operates to return the mallet from operated position and normally maintains the upper part of the mallet in a right hand initial position in which the mallet is engaged with an adjustable positioning or stop screw 56 which carries the lock nut 52.

Below the pivot 55 the lower end of the mallet has fixed thereto the armature 62 which has its right hand face angulated to cooperate with the substantially similarly angulated face of the core 48 of the electro-magnet 47 when the mallet is operated and the armature is attracted by the said core, the resulting engagement of the stated faces of the armature and the core stopping farther operative movement of the mallet.

Mounted to the underside of the top 9 of the casing between the bracket 49 and the tube 31 is a switch 46a consisting of a pair of normally separated spring contact arms one of which is held engaged with the other by the upper part of the mallet 58 while in its initial inoperative position as shown in Figure '7 so as to maintain closed a circuit to be described. When the mallet in operating swings towards the left these spring contact arms are permitted to separate and break this circuit.

As shown in the wiring diagram appearing in Figure '7, one side of the motor l8 and one side of the primary of transformer [6 are fed by one of the house-current wires, while the remaining house-current wire is connected to the remaining side of the motor and to the remaining side of the primary of the transformer and has interposed therein the switch 21 which is arranged in the top 9 of the casing so as to be easily operated by the player.

One side of the rectifier tube, which is energized by the secondary of the transformer, is connected to the ball conveyor tube contact portion 61, while the remaining side of the rectifier tube is connected to one side of the coil of the mallet operating electromagnet ll and also to one side of the coil of the ball controlling electromagnet 69.

The remaining side of the coil of the electromagnet 69 is connected to one of the spring contact arms of the switch 46a, while the remaining spring contact arm of this switch is connected to the contact 61 on the ball conveyor tube 4 l. The contact 66 is connected to the remaining side of the coil of the mallet operating electromagnet 41.

The closing of the switch 27 by the player causes energization of the motor l8 which then rotates the wheel 28, and also energization of the transformer l6 and of the rectifier tube H and of the magnet 69 as the switch 36a in the circuit of magnet 69 is closed. While the wheel is rotating the player drops a ball 35 into the receiver 38. The ball bridges the contacts 66 and 5? and thereby closes the circuit from the rectifier tube to the mallet operating magnet 47. As soon as the magnet 4'! is thus energized it attracts the armature B2 of the mallet and snaps the upper part of the mallet toward the left so that the mallet head 64 strikes the ball 35 and projects the same through the tube 4! onto the raceway l3. Shortly after the beginning of the swing of the mallet the coil of the operating magnet 41 is deenergized by the ball leaving the contacts 66 and 61 so that at the finish of its swing the mallet is at once returned to its initial position by the spring 63, which return movement of the mallet again closes the switch 46a. thereby restoring energization of the ball controlling magnet 69 which was momentarily interrupted by the operation of the mallet, opening the switch 45a. While the projected ball is rolling around the raceway its path may be deflected by the player by closing the switch 21 to energize the magnet 69 which will then attract the ball and either only slightly deflect the ball or cause the same to lodge in the radial groove H, whence the ball may be released to roll gravitationally along the groove onto the raceway and into one of the ball-receiving pockets thereof.

One or a number of the steel balls 35 having been played in this manner, another steel ball 35 may be projected onto the raceway by dropping the same into the receiver 38 while holding the switch 2! closed.

My purpose in employing a rectifier tube I! is to secure a unidirectional flow of current of proper voltage to the electromagnets 69 and 41. Because such a rectifier tube is not instantaneous in action but requires perceptible time to heat up before it is capable of maximum output, operation of the mallet by the magnet 41 before the tube had been sufiiciently heated would be weak and sluggish. In order to obtain strong and vigorous operation of the mallet I have arranged that upon the closing of the switch 27 by the player, not only the rectifier tube but the electromagnet 69 is energized because of the normal closed condition of the switch 46a, the electromagnet 69 then acting as a load in circuit. When after the closing of the switch 46a a steel ball 35 is dropped into the receiver 38 and bridges the contacts 66 and 61 and thereby closes the circuit to the mallet operating magnet 41, the tube having already been heated as described, the magnet 41 will be instantly fully energized and produce a strong and vigorous movement of the mallet. Contributing still further to the instantaneous and forceful action of the hammer is the surge current which flows in the magnet 47 when the mallet has moved to the position in which it permits the switch 46a to open and cut the magnet 69 and its load effect out of the circuit. This current surge be ing produced in the magnet 41 at the proper point in the movement of the mallet, noticeably augments the power and speed of action of the mallet which would not be obtained without this arrangement, whereby the ball which is dropped into the receiver by the player while holding the switch 21 closed will be practically instantaneously projected onto the raceway l3 at sufficiently high speed to carry the ball several times around the raceway.

When the balls lose momentum after rolling around the raceway, those of them which are not trapped and held by the magnet 69, drop into F the pockets of the wheel and rest and roll on the top of the platform 2|. Of course, any ball held by the magnet 89, will also drop into a pocket, when the switch 21 is released and opens the circuit. In order that these pocketed balls may be released to be used again, I provide one side of the platform 2| with a radial slot 14 which has a groove 15 in each side. The slot 14 extends radially outwardly from a point radially inwardly of the pockets .of the wheel to and through the radially outward edge of the plat.-

form and in this slot is the ball releasing slide 16 which has a tongue 17 on each side edge sliding in the corresponding grooves 15.

Attached to the underside of the slide 16 near its radially outward end is the L-shaped gate member which has the radially inwardly extending horizontal portion 19. Directly over the portion 19 the slide 76 has an opening 18 approximately the same size as one of the ball pockets in the wheel 28.

Secured to the underside of the platform 2| and straddling the slot 16 directly under the ball pockets of the wheel is the vertical tubular chamber 83 which is a part of and communicates with the elevated end of the ball return chute 84, whose depressed end 85 passes through the front wall of the casing 5 and empties into the ball receptacle 86 which is mounted thereunder within easy reach of the player.

The tubular chamber 83 is transversely slotted as indicated at 83 to permit the horizontal portion 19 of the gate to slide across and close the lower end of the chamber when the slide 16 is moved inwardly from the position in which it is shown in Figure 3 to the position in which it is shown in Figure 4. slide presents its opening 18 under the ball pockets of the wheel thereby permitting the balls in the pockets over the opening F8 to fall into the chamber 83 and be supported and confined in the chamber by the horizontal portion '19 as shown in Figure 4. It will be evident that the balls thus trapped in the chamber 83 are not permitted to fall into the ball return 84 and return to the ball receptacle 86 until the slide 16 is moved outwardly and withdraws the gate portion 19 to the position shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows the initial and normal position of the slide. A spring 8| is stretched between the bracket 82 on the front wall of the casing and the vertical arm of the inverted T-shaped bracket 88 which is fixed on the radially outward end of the slide to maintain the normal position of the slide and return it from operated position. The vertical arm and one horizontal arm of the T-shaped bracket 89 are engaged with the radially outward end and the underside, respectively, of the slide 16.

Coin controlled means generally designated 8'! is provided by me for operating the slide TE, and this comprises the coin receiving casing 88 which is mounted in an opening in the front wall of the casing, through which slides the operating handle 89 and below this the coin slide 99 which extends beyond the radially inward end of the coin receiving casing and is pivotally connected to the outward extremity of the radially outward arm of the inverted T-shaped bracket 89. Fixed to the underside of the slide 99 is the stop 92 which is arranged to engage the radially inward end of the coin receiving casing and thereby limit farther outward movement of the coin slide and hence of the ball releasing slide it under the action of the spring 8|. By inserting the proper coin in the opening shown in Figure 1 in the operating handle 89 and then pushing the same inwardly the handle 89 will become connected with the coin slide 90 and push the coin slide and hence the ball releasing slide inwardly from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4 so as to collect the balls in the chamber 83. If then the handle 89 be released, the coin will drop into the coin receptacle 93 shown in Figure 3 and inward pressure being released from the coin slide 90 and ball releasing In the inward position the spring 8| to the initial position shown in Figure 3 whereas the gate 19 being in the withdrawn position the balls in the chamber 83 will fall into the return chute 84 and collect in the receptacle 86 ready to the hand of the player. The playing of the game is then initiated and continued by closing the switch 21 and depositing balls in the ball receiver 38, in the manner already indicated.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, but any change or changes may be made in materials, and in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a support, a ball runway on the support, a rotatable openingequipped member in receiving relation to the runway, balls for travel upon the runway and upon said rotatable member and for passing through said openings, means adjacent the rotatable member for preventing the balls from passing through said openings, ball actuated means for projecting a ball to and upon said runway and rotatable member, and operating means for rotating the rotatable member.

2. In a ball game apparatus'including a ball, a ball runway, a rotatable member provided with a plurality of ball receiving pockets through which the pocketed balls can pass, a chute for delivering the ball to the runway and rotatable member, electrical means for projecting the ball from the chute, and an energizing circuit for said electrical means arranged to be closed by the ball when introduced manually into the chute for operating the projecting means.

3. In a ball game device including a support carrying a ball runway, a ball, aball chute for receiving the ball therein and delivering the same to the runway, switch means in the chute constructed to be closed by the ball when initially placed in the chute, and electrical ball projecting means having a portion operable in the chute for projecting the ball into the runway when the switch means is closed by the ball.

4. In a ball game apparatus including a conductive ball, a ball runway, a ball conduit leading to the runway, a switch in said conduit to be bridged by said conductive ball when introduced therein, a source of electrical energy, electrical means conditioned for connection to the source of electrical energy by the bridging by said ball of said switch, said electrical means having a portion operable in said ball conduit for striking and projecting the ball onto said runway.

5. In a ball game apparatus including a conductive ball, a ball runway, a ball conduit leading to said runway, a switch in said conduit to be bridged by said conductive ball when introduced therein, a source of electrical energy, electrical means conditioned for connection to said source of electrical energy by momentary bridging by said conductive ball of said switch, said electrical means having a portion operable in said ball conduit for striking and projecting said ball onto said runway, said switch including means for arresting and positioning the ball to be struck by said portion of the electrical means.

6. In a ball game apparatus including a conductive ball, a ball runway, a ball conduit leading to said runway, a switch in said ball conduit arranged to be bridged by said conductive ball when slide 16, these slides will be returned by the introduced therein, a source of electrical energy, electrical means conditioned for connection to said source of electrical energy by the momentary bridging by said conductive ball of said switch, said electrical means having a portion operable in said ball conduit for striking and projecting said ball onto said runway, said electrical means comprising electro-magnetic hammer means.

7. In a ball game apparatus including a conductive ball, a ball runway, a ball conduit leading to the runway, a switch in said ball conduit arranged to be bridged by said conductive ball when introduced therein, a source of electrical energy, electrical means conditioned for connection to said source of electrical energy by the bridging by said conductive ball of said switch, said' electrical means having a portion operable in said ball conduit for striking and projecting said ball onto said runway, said electrical means comprising electromagnetic hammer means, said hammer means including a pivoted ball striker member containing said portion.

8. In a game apparatus including a rotating wheel having ball receiving pockets through which balls may pass and a stationary platform having a portion located below the pockets of said wheel to prevent the balls from falling through said pockets, said portion of the platform being provided with an opening through which the balls can pass, slide means normally closing said opening, a ball receptacle in ball receiving relation to said opening, said slide means being operable to permit balls in said pockets over said opening to pass into said ball receptacle.

9. In a game apparatus including a rotating wheel having ball receiving pockets through which balls may pass and a stationary platform having a portion located below the pockets of said wheel to prevent the balls from falling through said pockets, said portion of the platform being provided with an opening through which the balls can pass, slide means normally closing said opening, a ball receptacle in ball receiving relation to said opening, said slide means being operable to permit balls in said pockets over said opening to pass into said ball receptacle, said slide means having a portion engageable with said ball receptacle in the operated position of said slide means for retaining balls passed into said receptacle, said portion of said slide means being arranged to permit escape of retained balls from said receptacle in the initial position of said slide means.

10. In a ball game apparatus which includes a ball runway, balls projectable thereon, a rotatable member provided with a plurality of ball receiving pockets through which a pocketed ball can pass, a platform under said pockets and positioned to prevent the balls from falling through any of said pockets, a ball receiving compartment in ball receiving relation to an opening provided in said platform under said pockets and radially movable means normally closing said opening and operable to release the balls from any of the pockets over said opening so that they may fall through said opening into said compartment.

11. In a game apparatus, a ball runway, conductive balls projectable thereon, a ball conduit leading to said runway, a pair of contacts in said conduit arranged to be bridged by one of said balls at a time when introduced into said conduit, a source of electrical energy, electro-magnetic hammer means connected to said source of electrical energy, said contact being interposed between said source of electrical energy and said hammer means, said hammer means having a portion operable in said conduit for striking and projecting a ball bridging said contacts onto said runway, and spring means for returning said hammer means to inoperative initial position.

12. In a game apparatus including a rotating wheel having ball receiving pockets through which balls may pass and a stationary platform having a portion located below the pockets of said wheel to prevent the balls from falling through said pockets, said portion of the platform being provided with an opening through which the balls can pass, radially movable slide means normally closing said opening, a ball receptacle in ball receiving relation to said opening, said slide means being operable radially outwardly to permit balls in said pockets over said opening to fall through said pockets and pass into said ball receptacle.

13. In a game apparatus including a rotating wheel having ball receiving pockets through which balls may pass and a stationary platform having a portion located below the pockets of said wheel to prevent the balls from falling through said pockets, said portion of the platform being provided with an opening through which the balls can pass, slide means normally closing said opening, a ball receptacle in ball receiving relation to said opening, a ball return chute connected to said receptacle, said slide means being operable to permit balls in said pockets over said opening to fall through said pockets and pass into said ball receptacle, said slide means having a portion slidable across said ball receptacle in the operated position of said slide means, said portion then acting to retain balls within said receptacle, said portion of said slide means being arranged to permit escape of balls from said receptacle into said ball return chute in the initial position of said slide means.

14. In a ball game apparatus, a ball runway, a member surrounded by the runway and having pockets therein for receiving magnetizable balls from the runway, said runway having a ball retaining recess therein, an electro-magnet for retaining balls in the recess when the electro-magnet is energized and means for deenergizing the magnet.

15. In ball game apparatus involving magnetizable conductive balls, a ball runway, a rotatable pocket equipped member surrounded by said runway, a ball guiding recess in said runway, a ball chute leading onto said runway, an electric motor driving said rotatable member, a ball ho1ding electro-magnet under said recess, an electromagnetic hammer for driving a ball from said chute onto said runway, a source of rectified current for operating said motor, said ball holding electro-magnet, and said hammer; and a normally open circuit breaker in said ball chute and electrically interposed between said source and said hammer, said circuit breaker including contacts arranged to be bridged by a ball in said chute to condition operation of the hammer, a second circuit breaker, said second circuit breaker being interposed between said ball holding electro-magnet and said source, said second circuit breaker being arranged to be closed by said hammer in the normal inoperative position of the hammer and to be open in the operated position of the hammer, and a manual switch being arranged to be operated to release a ball from said ball guiding recess by deenergizing the ball holding electro-magnet.

16. In ball game apparatus involving magnetizable conductive balls, a ball runway, a rotatable pocket equipped member surrounded by said runway, a ball guiding recess in said runway, a ball chute leading onto said runway, an electric motor driving said rotatable member, a ball holding electro-magnet under said recess, an electro-magnetic hammer for driving a ball from said chute onto said runway, a source of rectified current for operating said motor, said ball holding electro-magnet, and said hammer; and a normally open circuit breaker in said ball chute and electrically interposed between said source and said hammer, said circuit breaker including contacts arranged to be bridged by a ball in said chute to condition operation of the hammer, a second circuit breaker, said second circuit breaker being operated to be closed by said hammer in the normal inoperative position of the hammer and to be open in the operated position of the hammer, and a manual switch interposed between said second circuit breaker and said ball holding electro-magnet, said manual switch being arranged to be operated to release a ball from said ball guiding recess by deenergizing the ball holding electro-magnet, said source of rectified current comprising a source of alternating current, a transformer, and a rectifier tube fed by said transformer.

ROBERT L. L. WARNER. 

